Yesterday, UCSF was challenged once again with a labor action. The disruptions caused by these strikes, no matter the duration, are significant and affect the entire UCSF community – faculty, staff, trainees, students, visitors, and especially our patients.

At UCSF Health, no new patient appointments were added for our ambulatory clinics, while more than 800 appointments, including cancer infusion treatments, were rescheduled. Selected surgeries also were rescheduled. For those patients who remained in our hospitals or received outpatient services, it was disconcerting to receive care in an environment like the one we experienced yesterday.

The strike ended early this morning, and we send our thanks to each of you who came to work, as well as to every person who planned and helped UCSF through this trying time. We also express our appreciation to the volunteers and replacement workers who enabled UCSF to continue providing services across the campus and UCSF Health.

No matter your individual opinion about strikes, everyone in the UCSF family is bonded together by our PRIDE Values: professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence and our shared mission of advancing health worldwide. We are grateful for the professionalism that was displayed throughout this period, including by those in our UCSF family who chose to participate in the strike.

As we come together today and beyond in fulfillment of UCSF's mission, we ask that everyone recommit to these values. At UCSF, there will always be far more that unites us than can ever divide us.

Along with the leaders at the other UC campuses and the UC Office of the...

Once again, we are stunned and saddened by the loss of life and injuries resulting from a targeted act of hatred and gun violence. Late last night, the world learned that 49 people had been confirmed dead and many seriously injured due to a terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday prayers.

Today, we stand in solidarity and sympathy with the Muslim community, here and elsewhere, and strongly condemn this senseless act of hatred and violence. Every act of hatred is a threat to each one of us and to our communities.

Here at UCSF, religious freedom is inherent in our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We also recognize that Muslims in our community, as well as others, may feel a renewed sense of fear and vulnerability in the wake of this hateful attack.

UCSF Health Spiritual Care Services invites the UCSF community to a time of remembrance and to offer care and support to one another on Monday, March 18, 12:30-1:00 p.m.

Parnassus Campus: Ground Floor Meditation Room, next to the Information Desk in the Moffitt-Long Hospital lobby

We have received a strike notice from the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union for its Research Support Professionals and Technical Units (RX and TX).

These unions also have announced that they will strike in sympathy:

University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union for its Health Care Professionals Unit (HX)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union for its Service and Patient Care Technical Units (SX and EX)

The labor action will begin Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 4:00 a.m. and end on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 3:59 a.m. You can find strike updates on UCSF.edu throughout the strike.

As we have stated in advance of previous strikes, we respect our employees’ rights to representation and freedom of speech. That said, striking is a serious matter, especially when it directly affects vital public services such as patient care.

Labor actions make a significant impact on the lives of our patients and their families. During the two strikes in 2018, thousands of patient appointments were cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled. Some of our patients had to see other providers for their care. In addition, strikes create very real tensions among colleagues.

Once again, we expect disruptions to services across UCSF, particularly at UCSF Health and the UCSF Dental Center, as well as those performed by UCSF employees at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

As always, our top priorities are the safety and security of the entire UCSF community – faculty, staff, learners,...